Why You Feel Drained (a Different Take) | Iyanla Vanzant

Jan 12, 2026

In this discussion, Iyanla Vanzant, a renowned spiritual teacher and author, dives into the vital concept of spiritual hygiene. She emphasizes the importance of clearing emotional debris to reclaim personal power. Iyanla reveals how fear and shame operate as hidden rulers in our lives, shaping our decisions. With practical tips, she suggests simple daily rituals for emotional release and self-awareness. Through her insights, listeners learn to recognize that true healing starts from within and the significance of trusting one's inner authority.

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ANECDOTE

Leaving Law For Purpose

Iyanla left her criminal law job after a spiritual directive told her to leave and she obeyed immediately.
She self-published her first book at Kinko's and sold copies from her car, which led to a publisher calling.

INSIGHT

Spiritual Congestion From External Reliance

Iyanla says modern life creates spiritual congestion by outsourcing inner work to external fixes.
This codependence on the outside leaves people spiritually dirty and disconnected from their power.

INSIGHT

Who Rules Your Inner Throne

Illegitimate rulers like fear, shame, and unforgiveness occupy our internal throne and shape behavior.
These inner messages become filters that make actions and experiences conform to negative beliefs.

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Stop outsourcing your peace. Feeling better is an inside job.

We often feel exhausted, not because life is so difficult (which it can be), but because our minds are full of old wounds, unresolved feelings, self-destructive stories, and subconscious rules that secretly run the show…and leave us empty. In this episode, Jonathan sits down with acclaimed spiritual teacher and 19-time bestselling author, Iyanla Vanzant, to explore a radically practical idea: spiritual hygiene.

Drawing from her new book Spiritual Hygiene: A Practical Path for Clean Living, Inner Authority, and Divine Freedom, Iyanla offers a grounded, compassionate framework for clearing emotional residue, reclaiming inner authority, and tending to your inner life with the same care you give your outer one.

In this episode, discover:

• The hidden inner rulers like fear, shame, and unforgiveness that quietly shape behavior, identity, and decision making.

• Why we feel spiritually congested, and how constant reliance on external fixes keeps us disconnected from our own inner power.

• What spiritual hygiene actually looks like as a daily practice, not a belief system, and why small, consistent acts matter more than dramatic breakthroughs.

• How to reclaim inner authority without fixing, forcing, or bypassing pain, and why presence is often more powerful than effort.

• A gentler path to healing that does not require perfection, years of struggle, or becoming someone new before you begin.

This is a conversation about cleaning from the inside out. About creating space for clarity, honesty, and peace. And about remembering that your inner life is not something to outsource, avoid, or conquer, but something to care for with intention and respect.

You can find Iyanla at: Website | Instagram | Episode Transcript

If you LOVED this episode, you’ll also love the conversations we had with Thema Bryant about healing trauma and reclaiming your true self.

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